The year 2020 is marked by uncertainty. Covid 19 has rattled our lives and apparently there is no end in sight. Printing industry is no exception and companies are trying to come up with new ideas to reach out to their customers. Webinars and virtual events seem to be the answer. Companies now are realizing that webinar is the best way to connect and send their message across efficiently and economically. It is very convenient.
Organizing and conducting web conferences is nothing new, they have been around for many years. Nonetheless, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic created a fertile ground for their explosive growth. During the crisis proved to all of us that online communication is handy and a salvation for government institutions, NGOs, healthcare, schools and universities, companies, and individuals. For example. the number of online events held on the ClickMeeting platform has quadrupled to almost 300 thousand in March 2020. In the first month of the pandemic, those events have gathered as many as 3,203,034 attendees. The year before, there have been “only” 870,579 people who attended webinars.
On the other hand, many top manufacturers and industry players already withdrew from drupe and instead they are hosting intensive and extensive online events. Here is a recap of some of the major webinars and online presentations during next few months:
Heidelberg is launching a global customer campaign this fall. From October 19 to 23, 2020, the company is holding a digital event with product presentations of its current highlights, innovation talks, and one-on-one conversations via video chat.
On October 23rd Roto4All which deals with rotogravure technology will take place in Florence both with a live audience and in streaming.
SGI Dubai, one of the oldest and most respected trade shows for the printing and signage industries in the Middle east region has launched a webinar series called E3 Talks – a platform to Educate, Empower and Enhance the print service providers and sign makers in the printing and signage industry. The core objective of this platform is to educate the sign makers on the various developments and trends in the industry and help them find ways of conducting their business more profitably. E3 Talks will be a monthly event happening digitally over the Zoom Webinar platform on the 4th or last Wednesday of the month. The FuturePrint Virtual Summit will take place from 12 to 15 October 2020. With 122 Speakers, over 70 Sessions across 5 Days from thought leaders, designers, printers, experts and the globe’s leading print technology companies, the FuturePrint Virtual Summit is a free to attend event for everyone in print anywhere in the world.
FTA has announced the session details for Virtual Fall Conference 2020, its fully online, three-day technical conference themed “Collaboration Achieves Perfect Vision.”
Through six sessions and more than 20 technical presentations, speakers will explore how design, prepress best practices, color management, plates and pressroom technologies come together to deliver the perfect package. Sessions are scheduled for October 5-7.
Agfa has announced Studio 5D10, a three-day virtual event featuring broadcast sessions focused on inkjet printing. The event will run from 6 to 8 October, coinciding with the rescheduled FESPA time frame.
Drupa recently announced that it will extend its digital offerings by launching an online platform starting from October. The new online platform drupa preview will offer exhibitors and visitors an additional channel for touching base with the sector, discussing trending themes and presenting product portfolios. The portal will consist of the content formats “Conference”, “Exhibition” as well as “Networking” and will bring the community together. The drupa preview thus enables continuous exchange of information until the hybrid trade fair in April 2021, which will combine the on-site event with additional digital content.
The arrival of the new reality has changed the business goals landscape for using webinars. So, we are now in living in the age of webinars and it seems that we have to get used to it.
